Behind Bars
by SpunkiSpirou
Summary: Sonia owns a small business and has her brothers work there with her. Everything goes well until Manic messes up. But how will it all end? (I suck at summaries)
1. Prologue

**SpunkiSpirou:** Hello to all my readers out there. This is a revamp of the original Prison Problems (title has been modified) which was written 10 years ago now. I feel this version is a whole lot better, but I'll let you, my reviewers, decide that for certain. Here is the prologue for the story, enjoy.

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><p>Queen Aleena had left a pizza parlour in the heart of the town to her daughter Sonia, which she had been running for several successful years now.<p>

The pizza parlour benefitted from having an eat in and a delivery service.

Sonia's two brothers and a couple of friends also worked there. As manager Sonia called all the shots; who did what job, what drinks they served and what toppings they had on the pizzas aside from the classic cheese one.

They were known for having the fastest deliveries of all the pizza parlours in the region, after all they had Sonic to thank for that. Sonic was a super speedy blue hedgehog, his job was collecting the pizzas for delivery and whizzing around all over delivering them on time. He always got them done on time, customers only had to wait for their orders to cool down as opposed to waiting around for the delivery driver to arrive.

Sonic's friend, a twin tailed fox nicknamed Tails, also worked at the parlour. His job was to collect dirty dishes and clean the tables down. He was a sharp little thing, able to invent awesome little gadgets to help with the workload.

Then there was the kitchen staff, a red echidna named Knuckles who cleaned the utensils and did other odd jobs, such as taking the rubbish out. He was the only one, aside from Sonia, not expected to be in at set times. He could essentially just show up at whatever time he fancied, as his jobs could be covered by the other workers anyway.

And then there was the chef, Sonic and Sonia's younger brother, Manic. A green hedgehog who had the tricks of the trade, able to multitask without becoming confused or mixed up, which was Sonic's issue and the reason why he no longer ran the kitchen.

Everything was well, the business was thriving, hundreds of happy customers, Sonia had the well off lifestyle she had been brought up with and had wanted ever since.

Now if only Manic could show up for work on time...


	2. Chilling

Manic was in his room as usual. His own room away from his siblings who weren't allowed in there, a poster hung on the door that read "Keep Out" on it, signed by Manic, with an added smiley face. Inside he had everything he needed, a nice comfy bed, cushy turquoise carpet along the floor, his drum kit was to one side of the room in a corner. He also had various posters scattered around the walls, posters which were usually viewable but today a dense smoky substance had filled his room.

It was a strange smoke, it wasn't black like there was a fire it was almost like a bunch of clouds had drifted in through the window and were just mingling together. But Manic didn't care too much about it, as long as he cleared it all away after he was done, everything was cool.

He was laid on his bed, his eyes half open gazing up at the white swirly smoke as it danced around above him. Everything was so quiet around him, it was relaxing and just so peaceful. This was the sweet life. He glanced over at his clock on the bedside table, it was nearly noon, his shift at the parlour was at noon.

Manic thought for a second, and decided he had enough time left. He sat up on his bed and pulled a few things from his trusty fanny pack. A small sheet of what looked to be white paper, but slightly see through, a circular white shape and a small bag which looked as though it was filled with grass clippings and catnip. Manic set the bag and the small circular white shape down on the side of the bed next to him and folded the piece of paper in half but then opened it again. He put it on the table next to his bed, and positioned the circular white piece to one end of the paper. He then picked up the bag with the green stuff in it and took some out. He took a deep sniff of it and exhaled, it smelt so good. Oh man it smelt so damn amazing! He began to place it onto the paper, adding just enough so it filled the space between the white thing he had put in it, and still left a little bit at the end. He re-sealed the bag with the remainder in it and then picked up the sheet with the green stuff in it. He licked one side of the paper and then rolled it together, sticking it down and twisting the empty tip into a point, completely sealing the green inside.

He pulled open one of the draws on his bedside table and fished around inside for a moment before pulling out a fluorescent green lighter. He clicked it with his thumb a couple of times before a nice orange flame erupted from the end of it, which he held against the pointed tip until it took ahold and burned slightly. He put the lighter back into the draw and pushed it shut before putting the non-lit end of the item against his lips and taking a deep drag from it.

Manic laid back down on his bed and slowly breathed out, a thick white smoke escaped from his mouth and floated up towards the rest of the white smoke that had already pre-filled his room. Manic smiled dreamily. Weed. The most relaxing thing he had ever come across. Sure others would say it was bad and that he shouldn't be taking it, but he didn't care for others opinions on it. They didn't take it, so who were they to say it was bad and would cause bad things to happen, such as paranoia. There was nothing to be paranoid about! It helped him relax and forget the world, he took another drag, the taste was just so amazing!

His bed felt so amazingly soft and snuggly, he felt like he was floating on a cloud. Everything was awesome. Manic began to hum a tune in his head, ''_Everything is awesome, everything is cool, everything is awesome when you're living out a dream._'' he was so out of reality he had forgotten all about his shift.

A loud hammering on his door shot him back to reality as he bolted up in bed from the shock. "Argh!" he cried out.

"Manic!" came a voice from the other side. "Manic! Your shift started a half hour ago, Sonia sent me to come check on you and where you're at?" it was Tails.

"Um yeah dude I'll be there in a Manic Moment, I just drifted off a bit, but all is cool,"

"Alright then, Sonia isn't very happy though, so uh good luck with that. I'll see you down there," and with that he left.

Manic listened to his fading footsteps as he went. "Oh man!" he sighed deeply as he rubbed the side of his head with his free hand. He looked at the clock on the side, it had gone half noon, he was so late. He looked at the joint in his other hand and took a quick drag from it again. He breathed out and fanned the smoke away from his face as he stood up from the bed.

"Hey can I have the rest of that?"

Manic looked down. "Oh yeah sure, here you go Knuckles," he passed the remainder of the joint down to the red echidna who was sprawled out on his bedroom floor. He unclipped his fanny pack from around his waist and hung it on the post at the foot of his bed as he stepped over to a mirror hanging on the wall.

He ran his fingers through his spines, trying and failing to style them into something other than their current mess. He fumbled around a bit more and then gave up, he could never do anything with them.

"Dude remember to open the windows before you leave, get rid of the smoke, yeah?" he said as he walked past Knuckles back to his door.

Knuckles took a drag from the joint "Sure man," he breathed out, pumping more smoke out into the small room.

"And make sure you hide the bag back in that third drawer too," as he reached the door.

"Yeah man,"

"Guess I'll catch you whenever you decide to roll up at work then, later dude," he slipped out of his bedroom door, closing it shut behind him. Now to get to work before Sonia flipped her lid completely.


	3. Late Again

Sonia paced back and forth in front of the serving counter in the pizza parlour. Manic was late for the fourth time that week.

"I told him noon! I told him his shift started at twelve noon! Where is he? Why is he late again?" she growled angrily.

"Sonia chill he'll get here," Sonic called from the kitchen in the back. "Besides I can cover the cooking and the deliveries,"

"That isn't the point Sonic!" Sonia growled again. "If he worked for another employer he would have got the sack by now. It just isn't on!"

"So he sleeps in super late its no biggie sis,"

The door to the parlour creaked open as someone walked in. Sonia spun on her heel "Manic Hedgehog!"

Tails grinned and waved. "H-h-hi Sonia,"

"Where's Manic?" Sonia grumbled.

"He's on his way, he won't be long he just lost track of time,"

Sonia ran her fingers through her hair. "I'll be in the office, let me know when he gets here," and with that she walked into the office slamming the door behind her. A framed certificate of the parlour receiving four stars tilted to the side slightly.

Sonic giggled as Tails stepped over to re-straighten the framed document on the wall. "Manic's in trouble again. So what was he doing this time Tails?"

"He was shut up in his room again,"

"He spends way too much time in there. I hope he's not stealing again, he doesn't need to steal things anymore," Sonic dashed into the kitchen and returned with a stack of three pizza boxes. "Ok need to go take this delivery out, back in a flash," he zipped out the doors before Tails could get a reply in.

* * *

><p>Manic casually walked down the footway towards the pizza parlour, he smiled as he listened to his favorite song inside his head. "<em>It's just another Manic Monday. Wish it were a Sunday. Cause that's my fun day. But it's another Manic Monday<em>," he skipped and danced as he sang it over again in his head before bursting through the doors of the parlour. "Whoooo!" he screamed.

The office door slammed open, causing the certificate to drop straight to the floor this time. "MANIC HEDGEHOG!"

Manic's face instantly fell as he saw his older sister's face.

"Get in here NOW!" she yelled.

He dragged his feet as he walked over to the office, "Hey sis you having a good day?" he smiled sheepishly.

She pointed at the clock above the serving counter. "What time does that say?"

Manic looked, little hand pointed at the two, big hand was heading towards the twelve at the top. "Nearly two,"

"And what time do you start work at?"

"Twelve noon,"

"Exactly," she folded her arms and glared at him. "Why are you late again?"

"I was fixing my computer, had to clean the keyboard cause the keys were all sticky,"

A snigger came from the kitchen.

"Shut up Sonic!"

Sonic zipped out of the kitchen. "Oh come on Manic, you've used so many excuses. You were talking to mom, you were arranging your book shelf – you don't even read, you were hoovering your carpet – you never hoover," Sonic sniffed his nose. "And what is that smell that's always on you?"

Sonia sniffed too. "Yeah what is that?"

"It's that new fragrance I told you I use. You know, 'C' like the letter," he grinned.

"Just get in the kitchen and start cooking," Sonia snapped at him.

"Alright, alright,"

* * *

><p>The afternoon passed by in a breeze, a steady amount of customers came in and dined and ordered takeaway, Sonic delivered every order on time, Tails cleaned every table down within two minutes after customers had finished and Manic slaved away at the stove cooking all the pizzas and preparing the ingredients. At four Knuckles made his appearance, entering through the back door straight into the kitchen, so he could take the trash straight out and help with the closing that happened around six.<p>

After removing the last trash bag he sat on a chair near Manic. "So what excuse did you use this time?"

"I said I was fixing the computer, the keyboard's keys were all sticky,"

Knuckles sniggered "_The internet is really really great..._"

"Shut up," said Manic flatly.

The echidna laughed.

"You put my stash back in the right drawer didn't you?"

"Well actually I brought it with me here," he pulled the small bag out from the inside of his glove. "I had an idea of what we could do,"

"Are you insane? Why would you bring that out here? We'll get caught with it and you know it's illegal!"

"Manic you need to chillax, come on, you're always super chilled. All we do is, nearer closing time, you make a magherita and we sprinkle some of this on the top, take it back home and chow down on it. My cousin did it, its great,"

"Well it'll be the very last pizza I make. I don't want a customer accidentally eating it. Sonia would bury me in the back yard,"

"Trust me Manic," he replied. "It'll be the best move you ever do,"


	4. Special Ingredient

Manic grabbed the bag from Knuckles and stuffed it into an inside pocket on his vest. "Sonia is already pissed at me for being late,"

"Not my fault,"

Manic scowled at him.

"Last orders!" Sonic called out in the restaurant, that meant the restaurant was closing up, only the kitchen would remain open through the late evening until eleven that night when they officially closed.

Although no one except Sonic worked in there from five to closing as it was just a delivery which he was able to do alone. Missing incoming phone calls wasn't an issue either since Tails' latest invention automatically answered the call and requested an address which in turn activated the connected computer device to log all the information as soon as the customer said it. So Sonic could easily deliver one pizza and then come back and check for more messages, cook and then zoom out again.

Tails began wiping down the tables and tucking the chairs underneath as the customers vacated each one. After the last few had left the restaurant, he went outside to retrieve the pizza sign stand with the days special menu on it bringing it inside and putting it to the side of the doors against a wall. There was a rag there that was used to wipe the stand clean ready for the next morning when the next day's special was scrawled across it. He then finished up the last of the tables before flipping over the 'Open' sign in the door window to 'Closed' and locking the doors. He pulled down the two sets of blinds and turned off the lights for the restaurant. Only the office lights and kitchen lights remained on, and everyone left through the back door after closing time.

"Alright Sonia, I've done the lock up and cleaned all those tables ready for tomorrow," Tails grinned as he stepped into her office to hand her the keys.

"Thank you Tails," said Sonia, she was writing figures on sheets of paper, tallying up the day's takings and making sure everything matched up. "Just hang them on that nail over there in the corner and then you can head home, I'll see you there, I must get these last few sheets completed,"

Tails hung the keys on the nail and then went to the kitchen to chat to the others before making his way back home.

Knuckles stuck his head in the office a second later "Hey Sonia?" he questioned.

"What is it Knuckles?"

"Is it cool if Manic makes me a pizza that I can eat back at yours later? We're just finishing up and it makes sense to just make one here now and take it home rather than call in later for Sonic to make one,"

"Sure Knuckles," she replied.

"Awesome!" Knuckles exclaimed and hurried back into the kitchen.

Manic just finished making a meat feast for Tails to take home with him, he put the pizza in the box, cut it into slices and then folded the box to hand to Tails.

"Thanks Manic," said Tails. "See you later Sonic! Bye Knuckles!"

"See ya later Tails," Sonic replied as Knuckles waved him off at the door.

"Manic I'll get a margherita," said Knuckles. "I just cleared it with Sonia,"

"You know it comes out of your pay check," said Sonic.

"Oh it's so worth it though," Knuckles grinned at him.

Manic began to work on making Knuckles' pizza as Sonia came strolling in through the kitchen after finishing up in the office.

"Ok that's the figures all finished up. I'll see you boys tomorrow. Knuckles can you take out the last of the trash before you go and MANIC," she raised her voice as she said his name, glaring at him angrily from where she was stood.

Manic grinned at her "Yeah Sonia?"

"Do not be late for work tomorrow I will wring your scrawny neck with my scarf," she wrapped said scarf around her own neck and exited through the back door.

Manic stuck his tongue out as the door closed, Sonic and Knuckles laughed.

"Seriously though bro you need to start showing up on time,"

Manic began finishing off the pizza just as a call came in, Sonic took the call. Manic put the pizza into a box, slipping the weed out of his inside pocket he sprinkled some on top of the hot oozing cheese before putting it back into his pocket as Sonic gave him the dialled order. Three margheritas.

"Coming right up," Manic began preparing the next pizzas, the oven was only small though and could only manage two at a time, although it cooked them in quick succession.

"I'll just go put these bags out back," Knuckles said as he picked up the last of the rubbish bags and dragged them out the door with him.

Sonic popped into the kitchen. "Come on bro you're moving too slow I wanna get these pizzas to go,"

"Dude the oven only takes in two at a time," he pulled the cooked pizzas out and put them into their boxes, stacking them neatly on the counter. "Almost done," he put the next one in.

"What pizza did you make Knuckles?"

"Margherita,"

"Alright well you can just make him another one," before Manic could stop him Sonic had grabbed the first finished one on the side, added it to the two on the counter and zipped out the back door.

Knuckles walked back in and saw Manic's dropped jaw and wide eyes like a rabbit in the headlights. "The hell's the matter with you?"

"Sonic took your pizza,"

Knuckles gave him a puzzled look.

Manic grabbed his hair with his hands "The pot is on it!"


End file.
